Dreaming of Spring Gardening in the Middle of a Wisconsin winter part 2

[jvls1942]

The aftertaste is worse..
GGS is packing up to go home.
it will become so quiet here after he leaves.
we will miss him..
It is snowing .. 29F. already missing the tropical weather we had for a couple of days .

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Temperatures are going up and down like they generally do when spring is around the corner. I hope that's what this is. I gambled on it and ordered chicks to arrive the week of March 11. Hopefully I'm right. I don't generally get chicks this early, but it's been so warm and most of April is sold out, and I don't want to wait until May. So wish me luck.

 

[jvls1942]

Temperatures are going up and down like they generally do when spring is around the corner. I hope that's what this is. I gambled on it and ordered chicks to arrive the week of March 11. Hopefully I'm right. I don't generally get chicks this early, but it's been so warm and most of April is sold out, and I don't want to wait until May. So wish me luck.

It doesn't matter.. shipping by usps is always a gamble
but I do wish you the best luck..

 

[Callender Girl]

Good luck with the chicks, Lisa.

I am greatly disappointed by the poultry schedule at Bomgaars. No geese, only "assorted" ducks and very basic chicken breeds (Rhode Island Reds, Plymouth Barred Rocks, Buff Orpingtons and Cornish broilers) -- nothing fancy or exotic. Of course, it's not like I NEED more chickens. I guess.

BTW, Jim, Ben and Jerry's has had some really weird ice cream flavors over the years, but I'm pretty sure they never went for turpentine.

 

[jvls1942]

today I emtied the fridge freezer compartment. wiped it down good and placed a sheet pan with lots of baking soda on the shelf.. will leave it in there until tomorrow.
I let one batch of ice cubes come through.
they tasted ok already..
I tossed out whatever I deemed uneatable.
for instance: who freezes just one hamburger bun ? I don't like frozen bread of any kind.. it dries out too much..
lots of the items got tossed into the back yard for the birds.. bluejays, crows and those carnivorous chickadees..
I did not find a paint brush in a plastic bag.. that is what I suspected might be in there..

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I think my parents have a freezer like yours Jim. My mother is the queen of one thing in a bag in the freezer. We bought an upright this last time as it's easier to keep track of stuff. We toss all our old bread to the goats and geese. Husband has a separate chest freezer for meat. Not sure what's on the bottom of that one.

 

[jvls1942]

funny story
back the ' 60's my dad bought his first freezer.. an upright. the salesman told him that it would run more economically if it was kept full.
Sooo, dad went and bought dozens of loaves of day old bread and stuffed the freezer full until he could replace them with real food.
I believe the only items going into a freezer are bulk items. like chickens at butchering time. a side of pork or beef, game from hunting or fishing..
oh, and pizzas..
not leftovers or bread.
they go into the fridge until they turn green with mold..

 

[Callender Girl]

Who freezes one hamburger bun? I'm pretty sure my folks would have. We didn't throw out ANYTHING. If my dad had been old enough, he would have made up the saying, "Waste not, want not."

I am NOT a fan of frozen bread, and if that had been my refrigerator freezer, there very likely would have been a bagged paint brush in it. However, if it was the chest freezer in the basement, that's a whole other thing. It's the storage space for deceased critters. Currently, there are two hens awaiting spring burial. They passed after last fall's mass burial of chickens, ducks and a sweet little odd-colored sparrow who had been visiting my yard for at least a couple of years.

Congrats on normal-tasting ice cubes.

It's 31 degrees now and is expected to hit above 60 today. I will spend the sunny, warm day as usual -- scooping coop poop.

 

[wyoDreamer]

A red-tailed hawk took my Rooster last Wednesday. Hubby found the massacre, said both the male and female were there partaking of the feast. He called and said he had some sorta bad news, he thinks. He told me that the rooster was killed and I celebrated. I was planning on butchering him this weekend since he has been attacking me, his spurs were about 2" long and he was picking on some of the hens. He had his 4 favorites and would chase the lowest of the pecking order away from the food. The flock is much colmer already.

 

[wyoDreamer]

Starting to plan my garden for this summer.
I may go out with the weedwacker and do some cleanup where I am going to put in a raised bed for strawberries.
Get the weeds chopped down to ground level, maybe scrape some roots out and then get the cardboard down and covered with coop cleanings. Get some hoops set up to keep out the rabbits and birds.
Seed Starting: 6 slicing tomatoes, 6 cherry tomatoes, 12 paste tomatoes, 6 salsa peppers, 4 jalapeno, onions, and various flowers.
What else needs to be started early?